Improvement in processes for preparing gaseous fuel



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

\VILLIAM S. SUTHEBLAND, OF OOOMBS WOOD, HALESOWEN, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES FOR PREPARING GASEOUS FUEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,643, dated July30,1878; application filed March 12, 1877 patented in England, May 20,1874.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, W ILLIAM SEDDoN SUTHERLAND, of (loombs Wood,Halesowen, in the county of Worcester, England, engineer, have inventeda new and useful method of obtaining heat by the combustion of gaseousfuel and atmospheric air for welding and like purposes, for whichEnglish Patent No. 1,7 84, of 1874, was granted, and which method isfully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to obtaining heat for welding and like purposesby the combustion of an inflammable gas or inflammable gases, such ascoal-gas, carbureted -hydrogen gas, and carbonic oxide gas, hereinaftercalled gaseous fuel, with atmospheric air.

Hitherto, when large quantities of gaseous fuel and atmospheric air incombustion have been employed-say for the heating of masses of iron orsteel to be weldedit has been the practice to maintain such gaseous fuelsepa rated from and unmixed with atmospheric air, except in suchquantity that combustion could not take place until the said gaseousfuel became mixed with a supply of atmospheric air at the point where itwas desired that combustion should take place.

When gaseous fuel is employed in the manner above described there isloss of heat from imperfect combustion, in consequence of the gaseousfuel and the atmospheric air necessary for complete combustion not beingdiffused, mixed, or intermingled to the requisite degree; and, further,a reduction of temperature takes place on account of the excessivequantity of atmospheric air, which, of a necessity, comes in contactwith and is carried along by the burning fuel.

Now, my invention has for its object to insure a more completecombustion of the gaseous fuel without any unnecessary admixture ofatmospheric air, so as to obtain a greater degree and quantity of heatfrom a given amount of fuel than has been done.

The process or method by which I secure the above-mentioned advantagesconsists in allowing the gaseous fuel and atmospheric air to becomethoroughly and intimately mixed in the proportions necessary forcomplete combustion, either in a mixing-chamber or in any other desiredappliance. The mixed gaseous fuel and air are then propelled, by meansof a blowlng-engine or other suitable apparatus, along a way or passageto the point where ignition and combustion are to take place. Theforward travel of the mixed gaseous fuel and air is maintained at anequal or slightly greater speed than the tendency of the flame to travelback through the mixed gaseous fuel and air.

By the above method of treating the gaseous fuel and atmospheric aircombustion takes place without the admixture of any unncces saryquantity of atmospheric air with the gaseous fuel, and loss of heat, dueto imperfect combustion and raising the temperature of unused air, isavoided.

In practice I find that the speed of forward travel of the gaseous fueland air, when coalgas is used, should not be less than thirty-two feetper second. 'hen carbonic oxide is used a much less velocity isnecessary. In fact, when mixed carbonic oxide and air are employed apressure of a quarter of a pound to the square inch will cause thegaseous fuel and air to travel forward with suflicient velocity.

1 am aware that a mixing-chamber composed of a series of comnnn'iicatingchambers, or a single mixing-chamber divided by perforated walls, incombination with a surrounding air-chamber provided with means for theadmission of combustible gases, has been heretofore devised and shown inthe patent of Eames, No. 137,132, March 25, 1873, and do not claim suchsubject-matter.

hat I claim is The process or method herein set forth for obtaining heatfrom the combustion of gaseous fuel and atmospheric air, when suchgaseous fuel and air are intimately mixed together in the proportionsnecessary for complete combustion previous to ignition, and are causedto travel toward the point of ignition at such a speed as will preventthe back travel of the flame.

\VILLIAM SEDDON SUTHERLANI).

\Vitnesses:

J. Jonxsox, W. B. Jonxsox.

